Napuwarri Marawili

BIOGRAPHYNapuwarri is the third son and fourth child of the great artist Bakulanjay Marawili. In the last years of his fathers life it was he who worked most closely on art with him. They complete a number of collaborative works together.He follows many of his fathers stylistic features and was endorsed as a legitimate artist of his clans sacred designs by his father before his death.Napuwarri first came to wider attention in the Yakumirri exhibtion at Raft artspace in Darwin.The Holmes a Court Collection bought this set of paintings in its entirety.

He is an adaptable man with a versatile range of artistic skills. As well as dancing and singing in ceremony he sculpts as well as makes prints. As a young man he travelled to the east coast and worked as a carpenter and married to a Queensland indigenous woman from Cairns and had two children before he moved back to NorthEast Arnhem land.

He has strong links to Numbulwar through his second wife Rita and from his early years spent there as Bakulanjays' family was one of the last of the Madarrpa to move back to their homeland of Yilpara in the 1980's.

Napuwarri worked for Buku-Larrnggay Mulka for two years before returning to Yilpara to live in 2006. His first solo show was at Suzanne O'Connell in 2008. The National Gallery of Australia bought two works from this show. The Kerry Stokes collection has also acquired his work.